The 300C....particularly the Hemi....seduces a lot of people, but it didn't seem to have the crowds that the new Mustang did. I think some of the novelty is starting to wear off.....and Chrysler did not have the supercharged SRT-8 425 HP version of it there.....once again a Detroit intro.

Believe it or not, my friend actually liked the 3.5L V6 version of the 300C best.....even with the Hemi's cylinder-deactivation feature. He is not a hard driver, and commutes every day in the awful stop-and-go traffic here and would rather have a lower price, cheaper insurance, and better gas mileage. He seems to love the car more for looks rather than power, although we both agreed that the cheapest version of all...the 2.7L V6......is underpowered for a car this size.

I agree that the G35's interior could use some better materials. Nissan has significantly upgraded some interiors this year, (like on the Altima SE-R we looked at) but not the G35's. I'm surprised, though, that your friend found the TL workmanship wanting. The ones we looked at had really first-rate fit-and-finish, and the controls and stalks all worked with the precision of Swiss watches. It is no secret, though, that Acura had had some teething problems with the new TL, in spite of its excellence in some areas.

What did your friend think of the Subaru Legacy GT...or the Outback if he wants a little more versatility? The new Legacy and Outback represent, IMO, some of the best non-Korean bargains on the market today for the money.
Compare the new 2005 Legacy's looks, choice of engines / transmissions, fit-and-finish, Lexus-grade interior, assembly quality, door solidness, standard AWD, and standard warranty with its 20-30K sticker prices and see if you two don't agree that it is one hell of a bargain. I'm so impressed with them I may very well buy one.

 

I also question the wisdom of putting the LS2 in the SSR. Don't forget, the SSR is a basically a body-on-frame truck-based vehicle, not a unibody car. It uses the basic platform of the Chevy TrailBlazer....a rather poor-handling midsize SUV. To put this kind of engine in will invariably tempt owners to try and drive them like sports cars....and they are NOT sports cars, inspite of the fact that they are open-top 2-seaters.
They are strictly cruising machines, like the PT Cruiser.

The Lightning and the high-performance Dodge Rams also share a limited color choice....especially the Lightning..............although I have seen a few stunning lime-green Rams.

 

Didn't the G35 get a retouched interior for 2005?

M.

 

A little...not a whole lot. The console in some models got some not-very-convincing looking wood paneling. The basic problem is that, unlike Lexus, the newer Infinitis just use cheap-looking materials.

One area where Lexus interiors could use some improvement, though, is their tendency to have light gray-painted plastic radio and climate-control ***** with white markings...a minor flaw in otherwise superb interiors.

For the money, Audi does some of the best work of all in interior detailing....along with the Lexus ES330 and SC430.

 

He's worried about the complaints on Acura boards about creaking and rattles, etc. Also doesn't like the new environmentally-friendly paint that Acura, and soon all companies, is using. His main concern is with the Ohio plant build quality, though. I think if it were built in Japan, he'd already have bought it.

About the Subie, my friend says he liked it, but thinks the back "needs some work." He also says it guzzles gas and has no HIDs, which he wants.

 

here some pics
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=1766
interior like any GM car really sucks.

 

I made these the first day I was able to get the media pics of the STS when it came out.

 

whipimpin.....my apology. When I responded to this question here yesterday I said that the new G35 did not really get much of an update. In fact it DID. Today at the D.C Auto Show I looked at several G35's much more closely than I did the other day. The G35X AWD had a stunning real rosewood center console and door handles....and I believe that the Infiniti rep said that it is now an option on some other G35's too.
And.....the G35 question I know a lot of people are waiting for.........there still are no plans for an AWD coupe. Many people at the show, however, expressed an interest in an AWD G35 coupe....something the Infiniti people took note of.

Once again, whipimpin, my apology for giving you a bad answer. I take my auto research seriously and am willing to correct myself if / when I screw up.

 

those pics are awesome, those SSR wheels? (dont know anything about wheels)

 

Nice 5-spoke mag-type design but they look almost too large for the wheel wells and fenders.

 

Not a problem - I was just impressed with the new interior and thought it was a little better, redone, than you were giving it credit for being.

Thanks! Take care.

M.

 

http://www.autoextremist.com/firstlook.shtml






STS-V 440 hp@6400 rpm
430 lb-ft.@3600 rpm - with 90 percent of the engine's peak torque delivered between 2200 and 6000 rpm
6spd auto

 

 

Nice, I wish the blower was uncovered! Sick, those last pics aren't happenin' though, not seeing anything there.

Isn't is strange that 440hp doesn't seem like excessive amounts anymore? Well at least for me anyways.

James